For Love of the Chase
by Fer8girl
Summary: An Assassin and a Bounty Hunter walk into a cantina, sounds the start of a joke right? K'isha and Sinn are traveling with the Andronikos and Torian and discover they're chasing the same bounty. Forced to team up to bring down a bigger target, will their wildly differing styles cause too much havoc? Nar Shadda may never be the same. Rated M Action/Violence/Strong Adult Themes
1. Chapter 1

The cantina was oddly quiet, even for this late, or early depending on your point of view, hour. The bartender was surveying the patrons to recognize potential problems. His cybernetic implants gleamed in the lights, as he discretely scanned his clients. The twilek dancing girls were hovering over some high rollers with more credits than taste. A group of Imperial soldiers were boozing it up at some shared tables, enjoying the chance to blow off steam from whatever mission they had just finished. The Trouk bouncer was keeping a close eye on that lot, making sure they didn't get too touchy-feely with the girls. At the bar, gamblers wandered in and out. Different species but the templates were the same. The first time big winners buying rounds of drinks for complete strangers. The down on their luck types, trying to drown their debt in cheap glasses of Jorian whiskey. No one too distinctive, which made the couple sitting at the bar more noticeable.

They were positioned at the corner edge, the best vantage of the room with the most escape routes. The man was a tall blonde Mandolorian, obvious from his armor. His youthful looks had drawn a hard stare from the bartender, as if questioning the legality of him drinking at the establishment. Lucky for the bartender, he didn't press the issue. The woman was a harder read, tall brunette with short hair and dangerous curves. The distinctive twin blasters slung low on her hips pegged her for a Bounty Hunter. She mostly spoke Basic, but she addressed her partner in rapid Mando'a like a native. Not wearing the usual armor, her mannerisms still spoke of someone adopted into a Mandolorian clan. Tight breeches and the short top showed off her figure, while the well armored Mando was great insurance that no one would mess with her. The light touches they gave each other belied that there was more between them than friendship. She locked eyes with him for a second and his face turned pink. The cyborg bartender noticed and looked surprised to see that a Mandolorian could blush. Empty glasses lined the bar next to them. The Hunter seemed to be holding up well, while the Mando looked like the fumes were getting to him. She turned to signal the bartender for another round and as he walked over he caught snippets of their conversation.

"Does Corridan know we're coming?" The woman asked her companion.

"Haven't told him," he replied. "Kind of liked your idea about letting you get the drop on him, making him think someone put a price on his head. Then we can let him in on who you are. Maybe teach him that overdue lesson about being distracted by a pretty face." The brunette's face was alight with impish glee. She politely dismissed the bartender with a wave before addressing the Mando.

"I hoped you'd go for that. Nice to know you think I can distract him." She gave him a sly smile. "It's about time he got to meet your wife." At that the Mando's eyes softened. He reached over to clasp her hand, he thumb brushing the beskar ring he knew she wore under her gauntlets.

"It's overdue, sorry we haven't done this sooner Sinn." Adoration poured from his eyes. "Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum." Sinn leaned in and gave him a lingering kiss.

"Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum." she replied warmly. "Now stop distracting me Torian, between you and that whiskey all I can think about is that big bed we left up in our suite." She stretched out one long leg and used it to stroke the Mando's armored thigh. He turned from pink to magenta for a split second before taking a deep breath, obviously to calm himself.

"Why are we worrying about such a small bounty anyway?" He asked.

"Never hurts to stay in good standing with the BBA, good connections make Mako's job easier. This guy Otheros had deep pockets, we get this first guy, maybe we can get the guy he's really after. Then we can get back to our room. An actual shower sounds so much nicer than the Mantis's refresher. We could share." She made the word "share" sound like an act even the dancing girls wouldn't do, smiling that wicked grin again. This time Torian returned the look.

"Had the same thought," he teased. "You could use someone to scrub your back." He leaned over to the side, appraising his wife's curves. Sinn threw her head back and laughed.

"Baby, you give 'Got your six' a whole new meaning. Start thinking too much like me and we'll never leave the bed!" Sinn's laugh was infectious and Torian found he couldn't help but laugh along. Too soon the moment of levity broke as she settled back into business mode.

"Now where's that Nikto? Intel said he'd be here." Sinn scanned the crowd. The usual types of patrons were milling around. The group of soldiers had picked up and started filing out. Sinn shot them a hard look, she may have been contracted by the Empire in the past, but she had no real loyalty to them. She'd rather deal with them, however, than the Republic. Having a bounty put on your own head created a lot of ill will, even if it was renounced. She strained her eyes against the artificial lights continuing her scan. The only thing that was noteworthy was a Sith and her partner at the edge of the dance floor. Not someone you'd usually see in this sort of place, Sinn thought.

Sinn didn't know enough about Sith in general to guess this one's affiliation. She wasn't dressed in the usual Sith armored robes, looking more casual in her dark-red leggings and a revealing harnessed top. There was no mistaking the level of Dark Force corruption bleaching her skin and the light saber clipped to her belt. Usually in Sinn's experience Sith equaled trouble. This one seemed more engrossed by the man she was dancing with than her surroundings. In fact if there was a power outage in the city, the promenade could stay illuminated for days by the electricity those two were generating. A study in contrasts, she was slight with firm athletic curves, pale skin and short silver hair where he was tall, with dusky skin and piercing dark eyes. A distinctive tattoo wrapped around his eye and the side of his clean scalp. Sinn narrowed her eyes, something about that tattoo sparked a memory she couldn't completely grasp. But just before she could focus more on the memory a movement by the door captured her attention. Alertness washed over her body. The Nikto was here.


	2. Chapter 2

"Time to go to work." Sinn muttered. She downed the last bit of liquid in her glass, before leaving a pile of credits for the bartender. She made sure to leave extra, in case things got broken. As she and Torian maneuvered out of their seats she noticed a motion out of the corner of her eye. The couple she had seen earlier was moving towards the target. Her instincts told her to hold back, and she motioned for Torian to do the same. The Nikto looked like a bark rat being stared down by a nexu. In fact that's exactly how the Sith moved, like those large jungle cats, prowling, ready to strike.

"I think we're about to lose our bounty." Torian whispered in her ear.

"Not on my watch, I want that Kingpin." Sinn grumbled. They started easing towards the Nikto and the mysterious couple, being careful not to draw attention. Soon they were in earshot of the conversation.

"I won't stop until I get what I'm after." The Sith's voice was musical, but low and deadly. The Nikto looked stricken, torn between running or grabbing the blaster at his side.

"Better give the lady what she wants if you feel like walking out of here with all of your limbs." The man's voice was just as deadly as he shifted his open trench coat to one side, revealing a blaster at his hip.

"I swear they'll kill me if they know I talked to you." The Nikto rasped.

"And what do you think I will do?" She pinned him with her red eyes and the Nikto was frozen by her icy words. He shook his head before pulling something from his pocket.

"Fine, take it." He tossed the object at the Sith, before drawing his blaster on her. Moving like lightning she drew her light saber to deflect the blast while her companion drew his twin blasters and fired on him. Sinn cursed as the Nikto fell heavily. Too furious for common sense to kick in she approached the couple.

"That was my bounty Sith!" She barked at them. "Otheros contracted us to bring him in." Torian rushed to her side, Sinn wasn't prone to anger but once she got started it was hard to get her to back off. The Sith and her partner exchanged a meaningful look.

"Otheros wasn't the only one who wanted him, but our employer needed him dead." The man stated flatly. Employer? Sinn groaned as she swept her hand down her face, Sith bounty hunters, what was the galaxy coming to?

"We needed information from him." Torian spoke up. "There's a bigger catch we're after and he was going to lead us to it. This body won't bring in those types of credits." The Sith pulled out the holocube the Nikto had tossed at her.

"This information, you mean?" Her icy voice regal as she rotated the small cube in her hand. She glanced at her partner. "Casey just needed the bioscan once they were both dead, correct?" At his brisk nod she continued. "I think we can make a bargain Bounty Hunter. We need the corpses, you need the credits. We can help each other in this venture... or Revel and I can walk away, leaving you and your friend to clean up a dead Nikto." Sinn's eyebrows rose at the Sith's haughty tone, but realized she had a point.

"Think we can take it from them?" She asked Torian openly. Never one to back down he reached for his techstaff.

"Maybe, there are only two of them," he replied confidently. Now it was the Sith's turn to look surprised and mildly amused. She shot her partner an approving glance before he addressed them.

"Wouldn't try it if I was you, but I don't know what kind of death wish you have." A slight smile curved at the corner of his mouth. "I'm with the Lord here, don't mind partnering since you want the creds, but just as fine with walking away." He gestured with his head at the Sith, "That's Lord Kallig, just call me Revel. Are you in or what?" Sinn's mouth dropped open as that elusive memory hit her full on.

"Captain Andronikos Revel, formerly of the Sky Princess?" She asked. He tensed but gave her a quick nod. "I thought I recognized you from the bounty posts. Wasn't the Republic fleet looking for you? Something about piracy, treason, a couple of other things?" Both his stance and the Sith's became defensive.

"What of it?" He growled. Torian's techstaff hummed as he moved in to protect Sinn if need be. She turned to him and shook her head, signaling stand down.

"Don't look so tense. We have no love for the Republic, just making sure we know who we are dealing with. We're in." She smiled at Revel and Lord Kallig. "I'm Sinn, this is Torian."

"Not friend, her husband." Torian stated warningly, curving his hand around her hip. The comment triggered quick glance to pass from Lord Kallig to Revel, something indefinable that was gone as quickly as it came.

"We should get moving." Sinn stated, mentally noting the look, but keeping her comments to herself. Just as they turned towards the door, a voice boomed out.

"What do we have here?" A squad of Republic soldiers started filing into the cantina, led by a burly Lieutenant. "Looks like we might get a bonus tonight boys."


	3. Chapter 3

The two couples appraised the squad of Republic soldiers. There were about 7 or 8 of them. They looked like they had just finished patrol and were ready to relax. Most had their weapons slung on their backs, and helmets pulled off. The Lieutenant leading them was evaluating Lord Kallig.

"Seems like the platoon commander was offering up some extra rewards for bringing in Sith," he declared. "Be shame to not take him up on his offer." His gaze became assessing. "Not often you see a pretty one, may have to take our time bringing her in." Revel bristled instantly at that. Sinn stepped forward to diffuse the situation.

"We're just leaving, boys. Cantina is all yours. Enjoy your drinks." As she tried to move aside the Lieutenant shifted to block her path.

"I know your type, Bounty Hunter." He spat the words out like they left a bad taste in his mouth. "Not enough courage to join the real military. Hiring yourself out to the highest bidder. Selling your talents, isn't that what whores do?" Sinn stiffened; the Lieutenant was pushing, trying to see if she'd react. She didn't want to give him the pleasure of knowing he got to her, but that last jab sunk in deep. She opened her mouth to retort when Torian grabbed her arm. He motioned at Lord Kallig with a nod.

With her attention on the Lieutenant, Sinn hadn't noticed the drop in temperature or the air becoming charged, she could feel it now. Lord Kallig was standing perfectly still but the energy around her was not. Her head was lowered, her hand at her side, gripping her light saber. A couple of the soldiers had also noticed the change in the atmosphere and started shifting restlessly. This was supposed to be a night to leave the battlefield behind. They were only hoping for some drinks and the attention of the dancers. Trouble like this had not been part of their agenda.

"Why don't we let them be, Lieutenant?" One of the soldiers spoke up. The Lieutenant whirled on him.

"We have them outnumbered and outgunned." He snapped. "Anyone who doesn't think we can handle them is a stinking coward. Remember Corellia? They deserve whatever we give them after that." The soldiers looked reluctant but started to ready themselves. But when the Lieutenant turned back to Lord Kallig, he looked like he might be starting to question his decision.

"Your men were right Lieutenant." Lord Kallig's normally regal voice was under laid by something deeper as she addressed him, something that sounded older and bloodthirsty. "Should have let us be." She raised her head revealing blue fiery light pouring from her eyes. Her light saber sprung to life, red and black at both ends, blue electricity coursing up and down the blades and over her hand. The only movement she made was a slight tilt of her head to Revel, who looked like he understood immediately. He motioned for Sinn and Torian to step back before calling out to the soldiers.

"Anyone want to run, now's the time." He yelled. A couple soldiers retreated out the door but the majority stayed backing their Lieutenant. "Damn misguided loyalty," Revel muttered under his breath. He looked over at Sinn and Torian who appeared stunned by the raw display of power. "You should get moving." he said urging them on.

"We don't leave someone behind." Torian stated. Revel pushed them towards the door.

"I'm staying, won't be long, just meet us at the back exit." Sinn and Torian grudgingly ran to the back of the cantina.

Revel backed off as the Sith's power grew to critical mass. He knew she wouldn't need him for the battle, but he may have to help her get out if she couldn't recover quickly enough. It also afforded him the opportunity to watch her in action, something he always enjoyed.

"Take her boys!" The Lieutenant's voice rang out. As the men surged forward Lord Kallig leaped into the air. She came down quickly, slamming down on one knee, her free hand pushing an abundance of Force energy into the ground. The effect caused the ground to quake, knocking the soldiers off their feet. A couple of them recovered more quickly and were instantly caught up whirlwinds of electricity, stunning them. Revel noticed Lord Kallig was being generous; incapacitating the men without killing them would use more energy. The Lieutenant got to his feet and pulled out his blaster rifle. He charged at her with a battle cry, shooting off several rounds. She deftly swung her blade to deflect the blasts but held her ground. Revel almost felt sorry for the Lieutenant but Lord Kallig had given him his chance, this was his decision. At the last minute of his charge she stepped aside. He stumbled past her and she whipped around, plunging her saber into his back. The jolt of electricity caused his back to arch before she withdrew the blade.

"Remember Korriban!" She hissed in his ear before he collapsed. Any soldiers not still stunned by the effects of the whirlwinds looked on in horror. She turned to face them, energy dripping from her saber. Then, without warning, one side of her saber shut down with small explosion. She looked startled as she looked down at where the glowing blade had been. The explosion seemed to give a couple soldiers the backbone to resume the attack. As they picked themselves up to charge, Lord Kallig waved her hand and an energy field enveloped her. She became instantly invisible. Revel felt her hand grab his a split second later and the familiar rush of energy coursed over his body. Wrapped in the same field, he could see her again but knew no one else could see either of them. The energy field was pulsing however, a sign that her power was waning. He pulled her to the back exit, where he hoped Sinn and Torian would be waiting.


	4. Chapter 4

"Where the blazes are they?" Sinn was getting concerned sitting astride the rumbling speeder. Revel had assured them that he and Lord Kallig had it under control. She could see the logic behind him pushing them out, it gave her and Torian time to get the speeders prepared. It just didn't sit right with her running out like that. Her Renegade idled alongside Torian's Nexu, but she felt like she should be pacing. Torian could see worry on her face and shot her an inquisitive look. Sinn tried making light of the situation.

"We still need them to find that Kingpin," she said as she shrugged dismissively.

"This isn't just about the bounty anymore." He stated instead of asking. She knew Torian knew her better than anyone and wasn't fooled. Sinn had a protective streak that could span from Hutta to Tatooine. She shook her head trying to get her thoughts to coalesce

"Don't know why, there's something about them, I can't explain it." Even with her sentences half-formed she knew Torian would understand what she meant. Sinn was drawn to situations like this. Her usual knack for getting into trouble. Trouble like turning a little bounty on a Jedi into the whole of the Republic wanting your head on a platter. They were probably more upset about her taking down the Aurora then losing the Jedi. Probably cost them a lot of credits, and credits were the name of the game with the Republic. At least the Supreme Chancellor had pulled the bounty of the table but she always resented having to become embroiled in Imperial politics to clear her name. She shook her head again to bring herself to the moment. She was just about to get off her speeder to go in after the pair when a low rumble sounded from inside the cantina. Any remaining patrons came pouring out and Sinn scanned the mob.

"Think we should go in after them?" Torian yelled over the commotion. Before she could reply, a familiar regal voice answered for her.

"No need," Lord Kallig intoned as she released the stealth field from over herself and Revel. "Nothing that couldn't be handled." Sinn examined the couple, instinctively looking for injuries. Taking care of her crew had become a reflex and for the time being, she felt these two were under her charge. Other than some strain around Lord Kallig's eyes, they seemed intact. But as the Sith moved towards them, Sinn noticed a slight sway in her step that wasn't there before. Revel moved quickly behind her, giving her almost imperceptible support. The move was subtle, not allowing for weakness to show. Little escaped Sinn's sharp gaze, though, and she noticed another one of those indefinable looks passed between the pair when he touched her. Sinn narrowed her eyes at them, trying to read the byplay when another loud rumble interrupted her train of thought.

"We should get out of here." Revel shouted over the crowd. "Whole place is coming down." Torian snatched his helmet from where it was hooked to his speeder and jumped off. He threw it on while climbing behind Sinn on her Renegade while she signaled Lord Kallig and Revel to take the Nexu. She was surprised to see Lord Kallig stroke the sleek speeder appreciatively, even more so when she quickly climbed on first to pilot is while Revel climbed behind her.

"Follow us!" Sinn called out. She accelerated the speeder and glanced behind to make sure Lord Kallig was behind them. Lord Kallig gunned the speeder to ride alongside Sinn then gave her a quick nod before falling a little ways back. Just far back enough to follow without completely giving up the lead. Having always loved the feel of riding the speeder Sinn was torn between taking it easy to make sure Lord Kallig could keep up, or opening it up and letting her rip. A plasma charge made that decision for her. A stray blast shot by her head and she peeked back to see the source.

Some of the Republic soldiers had regrouped and found a couple of speeders of their own. Torian shifted his arms to cover hers, using his armor to protect her as well. Sinn worried for a moment about the pair on the other speeder until she saw they were taking a more proactive approach. Lord Kallig lowered speed to fall directly behind Sinn and Torian. In an impressive move, Revel spun around until his back was pressed against Lord Kallig and opened fire on the soldiers with both blasters. He managed to hit the lead speeder, causing it to blow, creating a road block for the others. Satisfied that there was no more following them, he holstered his blasters and turned back around. Definitely a pair that had worked together for awhile, Sinn thought. When Lord Kallig pulled back up alongside Sinn, she noticed Revel had adjusted his coat to cover both himself and the Sith, much like Torian had done for her with his armor. He lowered his mouth to Lord Kallig's ear and slow smile started to creep across her face. She moved close enough to Sinn's Renegade to be heard over the engine.

"Where are we heading?" Lord Kallig called over to Sinn.

"We have rooms at the Star Gazer Casino." Sinn replied. "We can head there, just need to catch the transport." The smile on Lord Kallig's turned positively evil as she looked back over at Sinn.

"Good." She said simply. "We'll meet you there." With that Lord Kallig hit the accelerator full force and took off like a shot. Sinn was never one to back away from a challenge and followed suit. Torian's arms tightened around her and she heard him grumble through his helmet mic.

"They had better not wreck my Nexu, I like that speeder." It was Sinn's turn to smile this time.

"Then we'd better not let them."


	5. Chapter 5

"You're enjoying this, aren't you K'isha?" Andronikos murmured in Lord Kallig's ear as she reached top speed. He knew she didn't answer since he wouldn't be able to hear her over the speeder's roar, but he felt her grin soften, probably both at his voice in her ear and the use of her given name. The rest of the galaxy knew her by titles, with a certain level of rank, protocol needed be upheld. He was one of the few that still knew her real name, much less called her by it. His face so close to hers, he could feel the smile curving her cheek as she pushed the Nexu for all it had. That Bounty Hunter Sinn and her husband had no idea what they were in for by letting her use their ride. Force adepts usually displayed incredible speeder skill and she was no exception. The Promenade flew by in a blur as she dodged gamblers and whipped around vendors' stalls. Andronikos knew the rush of wind through her short hair gave her as much pleasure as piloting the ship gave him and it was obvious she was having fun.

He was also enjoying the ride, along with the excuse to wrap his arms around her. Too often even small touches between them could ignite into uncontrolled blazes of passion, so they avoided touching too much in public. People might guess that they were lovers but they'd been keeping the full extent of their relationship under wraps. Sith politics could be bloody business. Apprentices were expected to kill their masters; alliances were formed only to be ripped apart. Neither he nor K'isha wanted to risk him being turned into a pawn in some other Darth's power play. It may have been the safe move, but there were times they both wished it didn't have to be hidden. After having free reign to be physical on the ship, not being able to touch in public was achingly painful. This speeder ride was an unexpected blessing.

As a harrowing jump through the enormous holo of some Hutt made him clutch her even tighter a devilish thought popped into Andonikos's head.

"How well can you drive while distracted Beautiful?" He breathed in her ear. The silky expanse of skin at the base of her neck was proving too tempting to ignore and he finally gave in to taking a quick nibble. He barely heard her soft gasp over the wind in his ears. Probably wasn't wise to distract the driver, but he couldn't resist moving his kiss down and forward to where her neck and shoulder met. Keeping one arm wrapped around her, he stroked his other hand down her leg where it was trapped between his and the speeder. He usually went shirtless under his open trench coat and right now it allowed his bare chest to press against the exposed skin of her back. He could feel every time her breath hitched in reaction. Her pulse jumped where his lips lingered. He kept his touches light, knowing how to test the limits of her concentration without becoming a dangerous distraction.

He knew K'isha was fighting her usual instinct to lean back against his warm body wrapped around her. She'd confessed to him once that her control always felt a little frayed around the edges when he was close by, she'd probably regretted letting him in on that weakness. But even he'd admit what he was doing would warrant serious payback from her. Unable to take her hands off of the controls left her at his mercy, and he knew it. He handled her body as well as he handled his blasters, knowing just how far to push and when to pull back. Right now he was enjoying grazing his hand along her leg while he did diabolical things with his mouth from her ear to her shoulder. Suddenly she veered to the rougher edge of the pavement. Her shapely ass was cradled between his thighs and every time the speeder jolted she rubbed against him, causing his body to react as well. He chuckled as he realized the move was orchestrated as a minor revenge. The rapid hardening at the front of his breeches confirmed she was getting the desired effect. That figured, he thought, leaving her with no way to tempt him back wasn't something she was going to let him get away with. He pulled himself tighter to her so that she could have the satisfaction of knowing what she was doing to him. It was too bad K'isha had started the race with that Bounty Hunter; he wouldn't have minded pulling into a secluded spot to relieve some of this tension. For now he'd have to settle for administering a little torment.

Then a sudden drop in noise level seemed to jolt Andronikos from his sensual teasing. With the transport terminal was fast approaching he wasn't surprised when K'isha opted for cutting the engine. She knew that merely throwing on the brakes wouldn't slow them in time. He gripped his arms around K'isha, ready to bail if necessary; this move didn't always work out the way she wanted and his armored coat would offer some protection to them both. At the last minute K'isha threw the brake flaps, steering hard to port. The speeder spun for one moment, before coming to a surprisingly gentle stop. He had just enough time to reassure himself that they were in one piece before K'isha twisted around in his arms. Suddenly facing him she grabbed the front of his coat and pulled herself into his lap to straddle him, searing his mouth with a hard kiss. His arms constricted around her as he returned the scorching kiss, for the moment neither of them caring who saw. She broke it off suddenly, leaving them both breathless. She remained facing him but eased off his lap. He'd seen less toothy grins on Trandoshians.

"You need to work on your diversionary tactics." She teased as she leaned back against the controls. "We're still alive. Maybe you need more practice." Damn, his Sith was magnificent, he thought, windblown and glowing with excitement. It was taking some major self-control to not sweep her back into his arms and kiss her senseless. Instead he beamed back at her, resting his hands lightly on her legs.

"Didn't feel like dying yet." He retorted with a suggestive smile. "We have unfinished business." K'isha's eyes were brimming with laughter at the double entendre.

"You are right; it would be a shame if Casey didn't get these scans?" She raised herself up slightly and glanced over the transport pad. "So what's keeping that Bounty Hunter?" Andronikos shook his head as he laughed softly.

"Not everyone flies like mad chrysfang are chasing them, Beautiful," he chided. "Why did you decide to help them?" K'isha's shrug was expansive.

"I am Sith, my motives are my own." Her tone was chilly but her eyes were brimming again. Andronikos shot her a skeptical glance.

"You might pull that high and mighty act on the Council, but I'm not buying it. I know you better." He was calling her bluff. "You respect that they stood up to you. I don't blame you, Mandolorians are known for their bravado, but calling you out and facing you like that was downright fearless. You know, with you being a big bad Sith and everything." He was the only person that could get away with teasing her and he did so at every opportunity. Obviously fighting the urge to smile K'isha gave him a hard look before sighing; he knew she was conceding that he had a point.

"Let's just get this done," she said dismissively. "I miss the Fury." Andronikos grew serious for a moment, understanding the undertones of her simple comment. For all of the quarters she'd been given on Drommund Kaas as part of the Dark Council, the ship had always seemed more like home. It represented freedom, both literal and figuratively, for her and himself. He didn't blame her for being anxious to return.

"We'll be back soon enough." He said soothingly, giving her legs a gentle squeeze. He reflected again on why they were doing this. The history between himself and Casey was just that, history. Still he hadn't been sure how K'isha would react when he let her know that he wanted help Casey out. Should have known she'd understand, she'd always let him go off to take care of his business, no questions asked. When she asked to come with him this time, he was happy to say yes. With the crew usually around it wasn't often he got her all to himself, and bloodshed was always more fun with her. "Thanks again for coming," he reiterated. "Not every girl would let her man do a favor like this for an old flame." K'isha leaned in with another wicked smile.

"Couldn't let you have all the fun." She murmured tracing her fingers on his legs to mirror his light touches. The touches might have looked innocent to anyone watching but Andronikos felt the minute sparks bursting from her fingers. His body reacted heavily to the gentle buzz as he remembered when she generally gave off this particular type of energy.

"Better cut it out, Beautiful." He quietly groaned. "Company is on the way. Bad enough it's your fault I still can't get off of this speeder." K'isha let the sparks subside but left her hands on his legs. She turned her head as she heard Sinn approaching on her speeder with Torian.

"Looks like company is here," she smirked at him. "We'll have to leave discussions about getting off for later." She gave him an evil wink, probably anticipating that he'd be trying to one up her later.


	6. Chapter 6

Sinn may not have had fancy Force powers but she had a lot of practice having to chase fleeing targets, or dodge shooting ones. Being left in the dust wasn't something she was used to. Seeing Lord Kallig and Revel shoot off had surprised her and she was having difficulty keeping up. Served her right she thought, giving them the speeder with greater speed capability. Her personal speeder was fast, but she usually needed something with more shielding. From what she had seen, Lord Kallig's piloting skills were impressive, if not a little reckless. That flying ramp through the holo of Karagga the Hutt had elicited a low whistle from her and another grumble from Torian.

"Thought we were going to catch up." His low voice carried through the custom microphone installed in his helmet that was tuned to her earpiece frequency. They're not carrying the extra weight of Mandolorian armor, Sinn thought with a wry smile. Torian may wear armor full time, as it was an essential part of the Resol'nare, but trips like this she enjoyed traveling light. Luckily, her rank as Grand Champion earned her some concessions. If anyone thought it odd that she wasn't always in beskar, they kept their mouths shut.

"Be at the transport soon?" Torian asked. She didn't have her comm unit handy so she resorted to the basic tap system she and Torian had used when they first started working together. One tap on his armored thigh to answer his question 'yes', two for 'no'. Of course, as their relationship had developed, more signals had gotten thrown in the mix. She answered his question with a single tap, yes.

"Think we can trust them?" He asked. One firm tap, definitely yes. She knew he thought she was too trusting, but he'd learned to rely on her instincts. He was also willing to fight her out of any trouble she caused, she reminded herself with a smile.

"Ready to get this over with." Firm tap and a stroke, wholehearted agreement.

"Get the holocube to Mako?" Firm tap, yes.

"No more causing trouble?" He had to throw that one in, she thought, but she could hear the smile in his voice. Her answering single tap was light, yes, but no promises.

"Fair enough, I've got your six." She heard the sigh in his voice. Sinn was playing fast and loose this time, she was glad Torian was the one here to watch her back. She hated to admit she was impressed by the way Revel had handled the Republic soldiers on the speeder. That Sith though, she thought, the power emanating from her raised up all the hairs on the back of her neck. She and Torian had seen several Sith underlings skulking around Drommund Kaas but none of them rivaled the level of energy that pulsed from Lord Kallig. They had learned the hard way there were always strings attached when dealing with Sith. She was curious what this pair's motives were, especially Lord Kallig. You didn't see many high and mighty Sith running around with pirates, she thought. But she wasn't ready to let her guard down around the Sith, even if she kept interesting company. In the long run, she thought, it's probably better to be allied with these two than on opposing sides, but at least the partnership wouldn't last much longer.

She knew Torian was ready to visit his brothers on Dxun. He'd told her the last time he'd done some big game hunting it had been exhilarating. This time she knew he was looking forward to showing off his wife. She felt bad for any of his brothers that tried to challenge her blaster skills. She always tried to do him proud. As if he was privy to her thought, Torian chose that moment to squeeze his arms tighter around her. She wiggled against him, know that he wouldn't get the full effect with his armor on, but would appreciate the gesture.

Pulling into the transport terminal, Sinn looked around for their other speeder. She spotted it off to the side in a semi-shadowed area; the occupants looked like they were in deep conversation. Years of getting the drop on targets had taught Sinn the advantage of holding back and observing. She watched the couple on Torian's speeder more closely. Their body language seemed familiar; the light touches and shared smiles. When it finally clicked a knowing smile crept across her face. It was like watching herself and Torian, but with more subterfuge. Alright, she thought, so whatever was going on needed to be kept secret. Her natural curiosity kicked into high gear. But she wasn't going to get more information by holding back, time to get moving. She revved the speeder as a consideration to the other couple, fair warning that they were no longer alone, before pulling her speeder alongside the Nexu.

"So," Sinn drew out the single syllable word, "What are we discussing so intently?" Revel looked slightly uncomfortable but Lord Kallig was regarding her with cool disdain.

"We were just discussing the wisdom of letting you two tag along." Lord Kallig's tone was smooth and icy. "Since you can't seem to keep up with us, maybe we should cut you loose." Sinn suppressed her laughter at Torian sputtering under his helmet. Even Mandolorian discipline had its limits and after that speeder chase he was reaching his. Sinn relaxed back against him confident that she could play this just as cool.

"Teaming with us was probably the best decision you guys made since coming to Nar Shadda." She shot back. "Unless you have a slicer at your beck and call to work on the encryption on that holocube." She shot Lord Kallig her own brand of scathing look. "That is, if you didn't fry it with that overblown light show back at the cantina." Revel's jaw dropped for a split second before he covered it quickly with his hand. Lord Kallig's eyes started glowing again and Sinn was wondering if she had pushed too far. A grin of pure malice was spread across the Sith's face.

"If you want a light show, I can give you one." She said as she slid from the speeder. The voice from the cantina was back, ancient and hungry. Watching her move was rather like watching a Tuskcat climb from a perch; slow and hypnotic with deadly possibilities. Oh yeah, Sinn thought, too far. She made sure her blasters were ready but left them holstered for now. Torian was a solid support behind her, unmoving but alert for her signal. Hold your ground, she told herself. Her hunter's instincts were telling her that running would be the worst thing she could do. But the lightning licking up and down Lord Kallig's forearms, casting eerie shadows across the terminal, was making her question that decision. With her eyes focused on the Sith stalking back and forth across, she barely noticed Revel move carefully off the speeder.

"That's enough," his low voice was stern. He came up behind Lord Kallig and placed his hand on her shoulder. He knew he was risking a hard shock but he gave her shoulder a firm shake. "This isn't the attention we want." She turned to look at him, the blank blue flame consuming her eyes. He leaned in so only she could hear him. "Snap out of it K'isha!" He whispered urgently. "Not the time." K'isha tilted her head at him, her vision still blank for a moment, until recognition seeped in. The lightning subsided from her fingers and her eyes cleared.

"Not sure what happened." She said as she met his eyes. Through the shield of her reserved gaze he could see how surprised she was that she lost herself so quickly. Too many high emotions in too short a time threw her control out of rhythm. Andronikos shot her a rakish grin to hide his concern.

"You're just not used to being challenged, we can put up with them for now," he was still keeping his voice low, for her ears only. "Sounds like they have a slicer and a place to relax. Let's make the best of this so we can get out of here. You still have to fix your saber." The last trace of shock faded from her eyes as she looked up at him and nodded. Once he was satisfied that K'isha was calm, he stormed over to Sinn and Torian. The Mandolorian had removed his helmet but still looked ready to jump if need be. Sinn may have adapted a relaxed pose; still Andronikos could see the tell-tale tension in her wrists and forearms as they rested on her blasters.

"You baited her." He said flatly. "Not a good idea with Sith." Sinn's shrug wasn't nearly as nonchalant as she wanted to look. Finally rattled her, he thought, good. As quick as a Sleen's tongue he whipped out one blaster and leveled at her. "The next time you have a death wish, talk to me, I'll gladly oblige." Torian tensed to leap off the speeder at Revel, until Sinn laid a reassuring hand on his leg.

"He's right Torian, I started it." She gave Andronikos a charming smile. "Bad habit, just like to see how far I can push. Truce?" She extended her hand towards him. He cocked his head at her, wondering what they were dealing with.

"Crazy as a monkey-lizard." He muttered under his breath about as he slowly holstered his blaster. He reluctantly shook her outstretched hand while keeping his eye on Torian who still looked ready to body check him. "You said you guys are staying at the Star Gazer?" Sinn nodded at Andronikos's question. "Good," he said. "I could use a drink." He walked over to K'isha giving her a light touch on the arm before the pair of them boarded the shuttle to the huge casino. Torian dismounted from the speeder and looked at Sinn incredulously.

"Why push so hard?" Torian queried. "Not like you to be so reckless. That doesn't seem like a normal Sith, if you could call a Sith normal." Sinn nodded at his observation.

"Glad you picked up on that, too." She stated. "Just testing a theory. Didn't you notice Revel told us to get out of the cantina and they both gave those Republic soldiers a chance to run?" Torian's eyes grew speculative as he recalled. "Too many bodies draw attention, these two are keeping low profile. Might be fun to find out why. Anyways that wasn't the first time I've faced down a blaster and this time I might've deserved it." Sinn climbed off the speeder and gave Torian a firm kiss before he had a chance to argue. Reproach flashed in his eyes even as he kissed her back.

"Say what you want." His voice disapproving. "He pulls a blaster on you again Sinn, he's dead." Sinn beamed up at her husband.

"He does that again and you can have him." She declared. "Let's get moving. We've got a holocube to decipher and a target to take down." She grabbed him by both hands and pulled him to the speeder where the other couple was waiting.

"Star Gazer Casino." Sinn addressed the droid piloting the shuttle as she and Torian settled in their seat. She turned to Revel and Lord Kallig and flashed them another smile. "Sounds like I owe some people a couple of drinks." She laughed as she completely recognized the look they gave each other; her crew gave her the same look all the time. The one that asked "What have we gotten ourselves into?"


	7. Chapter 7

The Nar Shaada suite was expansive. A long bar along one wall, complete with a selection of spirits to rival the bars downstairs in the casino. Overstuffed couches large enough to accommodate a small Hutt were strewn about. A relaxed layout suitable for any form of party the occupants wished to host, it seemed out of character for the Bounty Hunter and her husband. Sinn noticed the surprise on Revel's and Lord Kallig's faces.

"It's the first vacation we've been able to take," she explained. "The room is a payment for a job we did for an employer who wishes to remain anonymous. Since we'll be dodging stampeding boma in true Mandolorian style, I figured we could spend a few days in the lap of luxury first." Torian came up behind Sinn to give her an enveloping hug.

"You'll love it," he said as placed a kiss in her hair. "No better way to relax." Sinn rocked in his arms as she rubbed her back against his broad chest.

"I can think of better ways to relax, you know." She muttered for his ears only. A brief flush rushed across his face before he cleared his throat.

"I should send the data from the holocube to Mako. See if she can pinpoint the Kingpin's location," he shot a stern look first at Revel, then at Lord Kallig. The Sith gazed back malevolently at the armored figure.

"You don't like Sith, do you Mandolorian?" She addressed Torian in her icicle voice as she crossed her arms.

"Not one bit." He replied evenly. "But I don't have to; just have to put up with them." He turned back to Sinn before leaving. "Watch yourself, cyare." He spoke low so only she would hear. Even if she could take care of herself she knew he was uncertain about leaving her alone with this couple. Sinn turned in his arms to face him.

"I'll be fine," she reassured him, then stepped up on tiptoe to kiss him. She kissed him like she always did, warmly and whole-heartedly, with her usual enthusiasm and promises of more to come. It always made him look slightly stunned afterwards.

"Hurry back." She purred, her hands pressed against the hard planes of his chest plate. Torian placed a hand on each side of her face and looked her in the eyes as if memorizing her features before planting a brief kiss on her lips. He gave the couple one more distrustful look before heading out. Sinn motioned to the bar.

"Mako's a great slicer but it may still take a while before she breaks the encryption on that holocube. Might as well relax." She nodded to the extra seats. "Feel free to pull one up and sit a spell." Revel raised an eyebrow at Lord Kallig who shook her head.

"Go ahead." She said as she unclipped her light saber. "It seems I have some repairs to take care of." She sat at one of the low tables, pulling her tool kit from her belt. Having built the light saber herself she was intimately familiar with it and trusted its repair to no one. Revel went over to one of the open seats next to Sinn and poured himself a drink.

"Usually don't see Sith doing bounties, thought they had the Imperial coffers to fall back on." Sinn remarked. "Or is this just for fun?" The flare in Revel's eyes let Sinn know she hit a nerve, but she felt like living a little dangerously. Her instincts were telling her keeping this man off guard would be the best way to get the information she was after. She gave him her best disarming smile. "Take it easy," she murmured soothingly. "Teasing dangerous strangers is one of the best parts of the job." Revel eyed her with a speculative glance.

"Not that its your business," he ground out, "But some Sith aren't born into the lifestyle, it gets thrust on them and they either adapt or die." He pressed his lips together, looking like he said too much. Sinn knew her easygoing exterior was a great way to lure someone into a false sense of confidence. It made her seem too easy to talk to. But she couldn't help the look of sympathy that burst across her face.

"I spoke out of turn." She apologized, raising her glass. "You're right, not my business, just being my usual nosy self. Trying to figure out why you two would do the bounty, but let me and Torian take the loot. In my dealings with Sith, I've never known generosity to be one of their virtues." Surprisingly, Revel smiled at that.

"You're right there," he noted, his eyes darting over to K'isha. "Most aren't unless they're getting something out of the deal. We're doing a favor for an old friend of my mine. She's arranging a coup on the Exchange on Tatooine. I owe her one for getting me some intel." Casey had helped him find Rike and when she'd asked for help he saw a way to pay back the debt. Besides being able to set Casey up to run the underground crime syndicate was too good to pass up. She was paying him, but only because she felt awkward about him doing it for nothing. K'isha had asked to help; she mentioned something about owing Casey one herself. He wasn't about to ask but he suspected it had to do with Casey being instrumental to them becoming partners back on Tatooine when she was looking for that artifact.

"As for K'... Lord Kallig, she doesn't mind a little murder and mayhem so she came along." He mentally cursed as Sinn's look let him know she'd noticed the slip. This woman needed to work for Imperial Interrogation, can't keep any secrets around her. Time to change subjects , he thought.

"You and Torian are fighting awfully hard for these credits. What are going to do when you get done with this job?" Andronikos probed a little. "Just keep chasing the next bounty?" Sinn sat back in her seat and a distant look seeped into her eyes. Andronikos wondered what nerve he had touched until she looked back at him.

"Family," she said wistfully. "Working towards retirement if you can believe it. Itching to settle down, have children. A couple more big jobs and we won't have to keep chasing targets, at least not for a while. Family is so important to Mandolorians. Torian and I can't wait to add some new blood to the clan." Torian had been working on Sinn's education of the Resol'nare, while she educated him on some other things, she thought with a smirk. One of the big beliefs was that Clan ties are what make Mandolorians mighty. After clearing that business up with Jicoln he was enjoying his improved status with the clan. But, she wasn't about to go into those details about Torian's father with Revel. She was starting to like this pirate and his "companion" but that history wasn't ready to be shared. But now that she had him relaxed, maybe she could get more information out of him.


	8. Chapter 8

"So what's with you and Her Darkness?" Sinn motioned over at Lord Kallig with a nod. Revel raised an eyebrow at her casual reference, but something flitted across his eyes as he looked over at his Sith Lord.

"Not much." He said, his voice even. "I pilot her ship, we've been crew mates for awhile. That's about it." Sinn clamped a gauntlet covered hand across her mouth to stifle her snort of derision. Her eyes gleamed with unholy laughter that would have done the Sith proud.

"If you two are just crew mates then I'm a Cathar High Priestess." Sinn chortled. She leaned in and lowered the pitch of her voice, "You love her, don't you?" Revel's eyes grew dark and defensive before she continued "Don't deny it, I see how you look at her, and I can see she loves you too." He sighed as he shook his head, his gaze softened as he glanced over at the Sith sitting to the side repairing her light saber.

"Yeah, I do," he raked his hand over his scalp. "And I know she loves me, so much so that she married me. She's my wife." Sinn's eyes grew so wide they could have fallen out of her skull.

"Sith can do that?" She asked. Revel's answering look was sharp.

"The Dark Council wouldn't approve, me not being Force adept. Damn self-righteous bunch, almost as bad as Jedi. They might be alright with passion, but love is an anathema to them. Besides she's got some heavy hitting enemies that might put me on some hit list if they found out about us." At the mention of a hit list a calculating gleam flashed in Sinn's eyes. "Don't even think about it Bounty Hunter." A deadly tone sunk deep into Revel's voice. "You've seen what's she's capable of, even if you tried taking her down you'd be in a world of hurt. 'Sides, you'd have me to go through too." Sinn leaned back and placed her hand on her chest.

"I'm hurt you'd think so little of me," she teased. "Don't worry, I'd leave you two be. Not because I think I'd lose, you understand. Something tells me you need to be left alone. I'd probably even give you a head's up if anything came down the wire on either one of you." His posture relaxed as his leaned back in his chair.

"Thanks," he said "Not a lot of folk to depend on, always good to know there's some extra eyes watching our back. How'd you know about how she felt about me?" He asked before taking a sip of his drink. Sinn's throaty laugh bubbled from her chest.

"I recognize it, you know being another woman in love and all," she chuckled. "Her eyes glow when she looks at you. Not that crazy Force glow like when she fights, something warm. She tamps it down well, not many would notice it unless they've had it." She shot him a steely look. "You are lucky to have it."

"I don't trust luck,"Sinn watched as he allowed himself an indulgent look at his wife. "It's crazy, I know, ex-pirate and a Sith. The rest of the crew doesn't even know about the marriage. They probably think we're just having fun with each other. We've even talked children ourselves. Things need to cool down before that happens. But, she makes me want to fight for her." As if she felt his gaze, Lord Kallig looked up from her saber. She glanced cooly at Sinn, then let her eyes drift over to Revel. Just like Sinn had mentioned there was something warm in those eyes, just for him, Sinn could see it even from where she sat. A small tempting smile crept across her face before it looked like she remembered they weren't alone. She gave Revel a quick wink before going back to her saber. Sinn's snicker brought Revel's attention back to her.

"Something tells me her eyes glow other times too." The humor was evident in her voice. Revel's eyes were daggers as he looked back at Sinn.

"Dangerous territory, better step back." He growled. Sinn raised both hands to gesture for him to take it easy.

"Meant nothing by it," she said placatingly. "You ask me, not enough passion used for the right reasons in the galaxy. Maybe those Jedi and Sith would be less self righteous if they realize love ain't all that bad. But I know what you mean about fighting for someone. Torian and I learned a lot about each other in battle. Seemed like forever before he told me he loved me." she sighed again, thinking of her own love, before she leaned in back in. "I'm sorry about that, by the way," she whispered conspiratorially. "Wasn't trying to rub it in. I just never thought about being lucky to be husband and wife in public." Revel relaxed again.

"Don't worry about it, it was good being able to tell someone. Don't tell her I let you in on us being married. Just know that I owe you one." He adjusted his coat as he settled back. "Where is that Mandolorian husband of yours anyway?"

"Good question, I'll see if I can find him. Should take just a minute." Sinn knew a hint when she heard one. She got up and stretched. Senses always alert to movement, K'isha's eyes immediately darted to her. She stood and watched Sinn warily. Sinn muttered to Andronikos.

"Won't be long, don't start anything you can't finish." Poking fun at him again. Raising her voice, she addressed the Sith "Checking on the recon, be back in a minute my Lord." Sinn left to check on Torian. As soon as she left Andronikos slid out of his seat and walked over to K'isha. He eased his arm around her to pull her close. Her sensual smile started kicking up sparks in his brain.

"All clear?" she asked, slightly breathless from her body's instant reaction to him.

"For the moment. Long enough to steal a taste," He leaned down to kiss her. Their kisses always rocked him to his core. K'isha's arms came up around his neck and she pressed herself fully to him. Time stopped in that instant as their mutual passion flowed forth. Not the time, he tried reminding himself as her lips toyed with his. Too late, his body replied as he realized he couldn't stop from breaking the kiss to nibble along her jaw. He felt her shudder as he kissed the tender spot just below her ear.

"Loving this," she moaned, "But probably not best time, Beloved." He drew back while still keeping his arms around her.

"Later then." He gave her one more quick kiss, before letting her sit down to finish her repairs.


	9. Chapter 9

Andronikos looked over the parts stewn across the table. K'isha's light saber exploding like it had was a bad sign. The still smoking crystal she'd extracted from the hilt proved his suspicion.

"Another burnt out crystal." He confirmed. Her shoulders hunched slightly as she nodded, as if bracing herself for the lecture that lie ahead. She looked up into his concerned eyes.

"There are dozens in Zash's old storerooms," she said evasively. "The red-black crystals just don't last as long, I think the crafter used faulty corundrum." Andronikos shook his head as he sat next to her. Even knowing that Sinn could return at any moment, he was unable to stop himself from pulling K'isha to him so that she could lean her head on his shoulder. As powerful as she was, as long as she was his he wanted to protect her.

"That's not why they burst and you know it." He stated simply. "You burn too hot, Beautiful, the crystals can't handle the strain. You need to slow down." They both knew he was right, she did have a bad habit of channeling too strong. He was afraid one day it would prove too much for even her to handle. When they got back to the ship after her battle with Thanaton she collapsed and was unconscious for two days. Drellik assured Andronikos that he'd read about Sith fallling into a deep restorative state after a strong Force battle. To him it had seemed more like an ordeal. There were times she thrashed and murmured in a voice that wasn't hers, other times she lay so still he had to keep checking her pulse. The crew had been sworn to secrecy, a collapse like that would be viewed as weakness by the Council. He shook his head to shake off the memories.

With K'isha tucked next to his side he reached up to thread his fingers through her hair and massage her scalp. She slumped against him as the tension drained from her. A deep exhale released from her lips. Her relaxation was contagious and he felt his own body unknot.

"We really need to find a quiet room." K'isha sighed as she leaned into him, obviously enjoying the feel of his firm body supporting her. Andronikos drifted his hand down to cup her under the chin, raising her face to meet his. The strain across her face was losing ground to the desire in her eyes. He knew they shouldn't start this but looking into those eyes he was lost.

"It's quiet here now." He breathed as he lowered his mouth to hers. If their kiss on the speeder struck like a thunderbolt, this one moved like the lava flows they'd seen on Belsavis, slow and scalding. He slanted his mouth across hers, running his tongue along her lips until they parted beneath his and he heard her quiet moan of surrender. His hand curled gently at her throat and her blood was racing against his palm. He shifted to pull her fully to him wrapping his arm around her waist. Not trying to rush, he lowered her back onto the couch as he kissed her like they had all the time in the galaxy. Her hands drifted under his coat to run over his smooth muscles of his shoulders, urging him on. He lifted his lips from hers for a moment.

"Bad idea." He told her, his voice husky. "Sinn's coming back soon. You need to finish those repairs." But even as she murmured an affirmative, he felt her body naturally settle under his, one slim leg wrapping around the back of his thigh. He lowered his mouth to hers again with a groan, keeping the kiss easy but becoming more assertive. Her tongue slid along his, exploring the depth of his mouth as he did the same to her. K'isha eased from the kiss to trail her lips down his throat, most likely tasting salt and blaster carbon in his skin. His breathing became ragged as she lightly nipped. He let his head lower, inhaling the fragrance of her hair, feminine , spicy and slightly tinged with ozone. What this woman could do to him, was the only coherent thought he could muster.

It felt like her body was all reaction to him pressed against her. Her movements were becoming more urgent under him and it was wreaking havoc on his senses. Part of him struggled to remember that they were in someone else's room, where privacy could be shattered in an instant. Another more primal part of him was aching for the pleasure they had always found in each other. Her kisses became more sharp, using teeth as well as lips. She was testing his resolve, tempting him to follow her over the edge.

"Need you, Beloved." She whispered against his throat as she started to writhe beneath him, struggling to take off her leggings and boots. He felt his belt and blasters slide off his body, not realizing she'd unhooked them. His traitorous body reacted to the passion that was overwhelming them both.

"Need you too, Beautiful." He rasped harshly in her hair as his hands clenched on her body. He felt her hissed assertion against the skin of his neck as she arched against him and his control fissured. He wished they could wait until they had more time, when he could thoroughly explore K'isha's body, but this was a force that wasn't going to be denied. He reached down to unfasten the front of his breeches while K'isha plied her mouth against his collarbone. How she'd managed to kick off one boot and slide her leggings down he wasn't sure, but the soft skin of her thigh rubbing his hip was almost too much to bear. She raked her delicate nails under his coat to score his back, driving him to the brink. He was able to free himself and gently stroked his hardness against the apex of her thighs. She was completely ready for him, triggering another wave of heat to course through his own body. He fitted himself to her moist entrance, then used one hand to raise her face, making he had her full attention. Her heavy lidded eyes met his as she nodded. He crushed her mouth with his as he surged into her center, muffling her cry of pleasure.

Andronikos froze for a moment, feeling himself sheathed within her and letting her body accommodate him. He felt minute shudders race over her body as she tightened her leg around him to take him more deeply inside. The noise she made into his mouth sounded like a cross between a groan and a whimper. She rolled her hips with him buried inside her to his hilt. He followed her lead with deep rolling thrusts, keeping the motions easy and deliberate, wringing every drop of pleasure from the moment. Without warning he felt her seize around him, letting loose a wail of delight against his mouth. The primal noise urged him further. His pace increased and she met him every thrust. She thrashed in his arms, so close to the edge again, clinging to him as if her life depended on it. Her body bowed under him as he kept driving into her center, sparks racing across both of their bodies. He felt as another explosion hit her, then another, she was in full meltdown. He fought to maintain their kiss, not wanting her vocalizations to attract any unwarranted attention. It was when she cried out his name against his lips that his own detonation triggered and he was consumed by the blast.

He felt enveloped by pure energy as his completion rocked him to his core, clenching his eyes shut against the lightning that burst through his mind. Hard rasping breaths felt ripped from his chest and every muscle spasmed as his hips kept grinding against her. He forced his eyes open and gazed protectively at the limp figure in his arms. Each of K'isha's shuddering breaths was punctuated by an almost inaudible moan. Her arms drifted around his neck as she let her legs glide along his. He'd always relished the fact that she gave every bit of herself to him. He rolled to the side, pulling her with him to hold her against his chest. When she opened her eyes, he gave her a devilish grin before planting a light kiss on her lips.

"You had to rush me," he accused with a smirk. "You know I prefer taking my time." He let his hand slowly glide down her ribs to prove his point. K'isha batted her eyes at him, trying to look innocent and failing miserably.

"You said it was a bad idea, I thought you might need some convincing otherwise." Her tone was playful as she ran her fingers along his tattoo. "Besides you can't play the victim here, if anything you were an accomplice." Laughter rumbled from deep in his chest. Verbally sparring with K'isha was almost as fun as the other activities they performed together. He sat up and offered his hand to help pull her upright as well. "You should tidy up. I don't think Sinn would appreciate a half naked Sith rolling around her hotel suite." Her loss though, he thought admiring K'isha as she adjusted her clothing. He watched as she stretched her leg gracefully to put her boot on. She caught his look and smiled.

"You're staring," she chided musically. "How am I supposed to finish these repairs when you look at me like that?" He wasn't going to admit that as much as he appreciated her form, that wasn't what was drawing his eye at the moment. Energy still smoldered around her but the snapping discordant energy waves that had followed her since the cantina had dissipated and he was glad for it.

"What can I say, Beautiful?" He kept his tone light "You distract me." Her chuckle was low and seductive.

"I guess I should show you how diversionary tactics need to be done after all." Her eyes glowing with as she cast a telling glance at where they enjoyed their recent physical activity. "Seems like I'm proving to be better at it."

"Not as good as you think, we're still alive." She laughed quietly as he lobbed her words back at her. Suddenly inspired he reached over to take K'isha's hand in his . Holding her gaze the whole time he placed a gentle kiss in the center of her hand. Her eyes started to close as his lips traced the lines of her palm, then she let out a yelp as he gave her a hard nip.

"What was that for?" she asked looking at him surprised. His shoulders shaking with silent laughter.

"You looked too relaxed, Beautiful," he explained, moving carefully out of her reach. "Figured I should piss you off so Sinn would recognize you when she returned." As her eyes narrowed at him, he nodded mock gravely. "Yeah, that's the look." He confirmed out loud. He jumped up as K'isha took a swipe at him, returning to the seat he vacated at the bar, suppressing his laughter. K'isha opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Sinn's whoop of excitement. As the Hunter blew through the door like a storm, Andronikos raised his glass to K'isha before draining the last of his drink. She inclined her head at him, conceding to him that in this round of their perpetual one-upmanship, he was the victor.


	10. Chapter 10

So much for an easy bounty, Sinn thought. Getting the holocube taken care of was taking longer than she expected. As soon as she walked out the door, her comm unit went off. Normally seeing the miniature holo of Torian brought a smile to her lips, but the scowl on his face let her know something was wrong, especially since she was expecting him to be down the hall at the holo unit.

"I tried contacting Mako. When she didn't answer I came to the ship. But she's not here." His deep voice crackled over the comm. "No messages indicating where she went." Sinn had her suspicions.

"Stay there in case she returns, Torian," Sinn said as a wry smile curved her lips. "I think I know where to find her. But feel free to kick her butt if she gets to the ship before me." Torian's scowl faded at Sinn's reassurance, she knew he would trust her to find the wayward slicer. Sinn rushed down to the transport.

"Shadow Town, step on it," she barked at the droid. She headed over to the Network Infrastructure District. Known as Shadow Town to the locals, the southeastern section of Nar Shadda's main city was a favorite destination of slicers and holo fiends. Sinn wasn't surprised when she walked into the Slice and Dice, a tiny bar that featured a larger variety of stims than alcohol, and saw Mako giggling at the end of the counter. It looked like the pretty little slicer had been drawing the attention of a lot of the guys; she probably hadn't had to pay for a drink all night. Sinn walked over to Mako, staying out of her line of sight, and decided to have a little fun with her.

"Buy you a drink, cutie?" She purred seductively, coming up behind her. Mako giggled loudly again before turning around.

"Well, never said no to a drink, no matter from whom." Her words were slightly slurred as she spun in her seat. As she looked up and saw Sinn looking pointedly at her, she swore under her breath, realizing she was back on the clock.

"I thought you and Torian had this handled." She grumbled, drawing her fingers down her face in exasperation. "What, did you distract each other too much?" Sinn crossed her arms, letting her impatience read through her body language. She loved Mako like a little sister, but it was time to get working. Things were volatile enough with Revel and Lord Kallig in the mix; she was trying to avoid any more delays.

"We found the Nikto but things got complicated." She muttered, helping Mako to her feet and urging her along. The loud protests of many male patrons followed them, Sinn was sure they hated watching all the money they'd spent on drinks get up and walk out the door. Mako turned and blew them a kiss, eliciting a groan from Sinn.

"Come on, Miss Popular." Sinn encouraged her tipsy friend to the transport. "You can return to your admirers after you're done." As the small ship took off, Mako shot Sinn a dark look through semi-glazed eyes.

"Just because I hitched a ride with you and Torian doesn't mean I'm at your beck and call," she said heatedly. "You aren't the only ones that would like a vacation." Sinn let out a breath in exasperation.

"Stow it, Mako," Sinn said gruffly, giving the girl her best 'I'm in charge' look. "Got a job that requires your delicate touch." When she saw intimidation wasn't working, Sinn decided to change tactics. "Make you a deal," she said coaxingly. "You get this done with no more complaints, you can charge tonight's tab to our room at the Gazer." A contemplative smile grew across Mako's face, burning away the visual signs of her inebriation.

"Tonight, and the next two nights." Mako haggled. Sinn smiled carefully, Mako was still part of her crew and questioning her orders wasn't to be encouraged, but she had always loved honing the slicer's negotiation skills.

"Tonight and tomorrow," she bartered back. "Torian and I don't want to stay here much longer." Mako looked happy at the prospect of two nights of a prepaid tab, but Sinn could see she wasn't giving up that easy.

"Final offer, Boss. Tonight, tomorrow and the next time we're on Nar Shadda, ditch Torian and we can tear up a cantina. On your credits, of course." Mako looked sly, and Sinn knew the slicer was trying to appeal to her fun-loving nature.

"You've got a deal," Sinn allowed, as the transport touched down at the terminal just outside of the spaceport. "But only if you speed up the pace. Chasing you down burned up too much time as it is." Both women grinned at each other as they disembarked the craft and headed to Sinn's ship.

Sinn wasn't surprised to see Torian standing outside of the ship when she and Mako arrived. He always seemed to be on a higher level of alert in matters involving her. Judging by the worry on his face, she was willing to bet he was just about to start pacing. Relief flashed across his eyes before his face settled into its normal stoic look. Mako stuck out her tongue at him before striding by breezily. He didn't return the childish gesture, but he raised his boot in her direction, a clear indicator of what he was ready to do.

"I've got the holocube ready," he said as they boarded the ship. Sinn was glad she had insisted Mako show him how to use the interface and some basic slicing. At first he was reluctant, but he seemed to enjoy it more when he realized he had a knack for it. He had likened it to hunting, Sinn recalled, only on the holonet instead of in the field. She'd appreciated his willingness to learn even though she knew he'd rather hunt breathing targets than information. Mako sat down at her favorite terminal, her fingers flying across the interface.

"I'll have this done in no time." She remarked confidently. She shot a withering look at Sinn who couldn't help but hover nearby. "You know, I do this faster without you over my shoulder. Why don't you and Torian go find a dark corner to lurk in or something?" Sinn chuckled, realizing she'd just been dismissed for the second time in one day by two people who couldn't have been more different. Her thoughts took a more sultry turn when she felt herself pulled against an armored chest plate as Torian's bare hand wrapped around her waist.

"For once the slicer may have a good idea," he murmured in Sinn's ear. She smiled as she let herself be led to the common area. Once they were out of view and earshot of Mako, Torian lifted her against the wall and gave her a melting kiss. The move didn't surprise her. She knew he enjoyed her public affectionate gestures, but he preferred to wait until they were in private before doling out his own. He had taken off his gauntlets and she thrilled at the rough texture of his fingers at exposed skin of her waist as he held her up. Being pressed between the wall behind her and her wall of a husband was making Sinn feel a little weak. She'd admit freely that Torian was the only one she'd found able to turn the tables on her and make her feel like the prey instead of the hunter.


	11. Chapter 11

Sinn returned Torian's kiss with fervor, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders. Most girls would be daunted by the prospect of peeling their husband out of armor every night. Luckily, Sinn thought, she wasn't most girls. In fact, she felt there was something to be said for knowing she didn't have to share what lie underneath the hard beskar. She knew every scar, swell and crevasse on his entire body and loved that since they had been together the knowledge was hers alone. Then all coherent thoughts left her head as Torian's kiss migrated down her throat. He lifted her higher against the wall, bringing her shoulder within range of his questing mouth and Sinn couldn't stop from moaning loudly.

"Alright you two, keep it down." Mako's sharp voice cut through Sinn's daze. "No use in getting hot and bothered while you are on the job." Sinn felt Torian slowly let her down until her boots touched the floor. The smile he was giving her seemed in contrast with the hunger in his eyes, but Sinn knew he was patient and could wait for a better time. Sinn ran her fingers through his hair, thoroughly enjoying the simple pleasure of his smile. She knew to most people his countenance was perpetually serious; the fact that he allowed her to break through his discipline to make him smile and laugh spoke volumes to her. She couldn't resist giving him a quick warm kiss before leaning back against the wall with a sigh, enjoying that he kept her captured in his arms.

"What do you think Revel and the Sith are doing?" Torian asked. Sinn noticed he had the same tone in his voice when he said 'Sith' as Lord Kallig did when she said 'Mandolorian'. The last time Sinn remembered using that tone herself was when she stepped in some bantha dung wearing new boots the last time they visited Tatooine.

"Probably fantasizing about kicking in the heads of some nexu cubs, or whatever the evil do when they are bored." Torian's annoyed look let Sinn know he didn't appreciate her teasing, but she saw his smile trying to reassert itself.

"Sith doing bounties doesn't seem right. There has to more to it." He said. "I'm sure you were at least able to figure out what game they are playing at?" Her husband knew her well, Sinn thought.

"Only partially," Sinn said. "Something about some gangster activity on Tatooine. Oh, and the fact that they're married." Sinn watched a brief look of shock cross Torian's face as she casually dropped that bombshell, then his gaze turned introspective.

"Makes sense now that I think about it," he said as he slowly nodded. "The way they work together, not your typical crewmates." Torian chuckled lightly. "A married Sith, haven't heard that one yet, here I thought them working a bounty was the oddest thing about them." Sinn shared his chuckle.

"Those two being married could be dangerous." Sinn warned lightly. "If they're anything like us, any threat to one will be perceived as a threat to both. But the fact that they are keeping it secret could work to our advantage." Torian's gaze turned dark for a moment.

"Married or not, still didn't like that move he pulled at the terminal." Sinn sighed inwardly, realizing he wasn't going to let that go. Not that she blamed Torian, Mandolorians didn't respond well to threats on their family.

"Tell you what, Baby." Sinn gave Torian a diabolical smile. "One free shot, I won't stop you. Just pick your moment." Sinn trusted Torian's instinct for timing the same way he trusted her judgment in people, willing to go along with it but ready in case things went awry. "But no gauntlets," she scolded. "Pulling that blaster wasn't worth a broken jaw." Torian smiled down at her.

"You're wrong there, cyare" He said matter-of-factly. "Pulling a blaster on you is worth breaking every bone in someone's body." No better compliment than that, Sinn thought happily, as she craned upward to give Torian a grateful kiss.

"If you two are done," Mako said wryly as she leaned against the doorway. "I've finished with the holocube. Here's the intel on that Kingpin, along with some other goodies I was able to find." She handed a data pad to Sinn. "I also uploaded that information you had me look up, pretty obscure stuff. I'm making sure buy a round for my friends at the Slice and Dice for the extra work." Sinn looked over the uploads admiringly.

"This is perfect, Mako." Sinn exclaimed. "Buy two rounds." At those words Mako practically sprinted out the ship's exit, as if she was afraid Sinn would change her mind. Sinn noticed Torian was looking at her shrewdly.

"Information?" He asked. Sinn gave him a smile that was more a baring of teeth than an expression of pleasure.

"Insurance." She replied. "Bodies aren't the only thing worth credits. Sometimes the right information can be more valuable." Torian nodded and gave her one more squeeze.

"That's my girl." He said, before he shifted into business mode. "Let's hunt." They exited the ship ready for battle.


End file.
